Top Senate Republicans Call for Sebelius Fundraising Probe

A group of top Republicans in the Senate have requested an investigation into Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' for her fundraising efforts on behalf of an advocacy group that is arguing for the Affordable Care Act.

The senators include ranking members Orrin Hatch, Utah, of the Senate Finance Committee; Lamar Alexander, Tenn., of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and Tom Coburn, Okla., of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, The Hill reports.

They want the Health and Human Service Department's inspector general to delve into Sebelius' phone calls to health industry participants.

In those calls, she solicited money for Enroll America, a group tightly associated with the Obama administration that was created to promote Obamacare.

"These activities call into question whether appropriations and ethics laws are being followed," the senators wrote in a letter to Inspector General Daniel Levinson.

"While we recognize that under current law, there are certain circumstances in which executive branch officials might be allowed to participate in fundraising in an official capacity, the precise nature and appropriateness of Secretary Sebelius' activities is not clear from public reports."

A group of top Republicans in the Senate have requested an investigation into Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' for her fundraising efforts on behalf of an advocacy group that is arguing for the Affordable Care Act.